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Welsh Government Dignity National Co-ordinating Group
This group was established in July 2008 and meets quarterly. Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services Minister Gwenda Thomas, has recently given an extra £100,000 of Assembly Government funding to support the National Dignity in Care Action Plan. £75,000 of this funding which will be used to deliver six regional training events across Wales.
The following initiatives are designed to improve dignity in care:
Transforming care at the bedside
A national NHS Wales programme aimed at increasing the time nurses spend directly caring for patients has been launched. Transforming Care, facilitated by the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH), brings together the best of two very successful initiatives, Transforming Care At the Bedside and Releasing Time To Care. The programme also aims to improve the experience had by patients during a hospital stay and, in partnership with the 1000 Lives Campaign, reduce incidents such as hospital acquired infections and pressure ulcers.
Free to lead, free to care
The report, Free to Lead, Free to Care, contains 35 proposals covering issues such as:
- Ward cleanliness
- Nurses’ uniforms and an all-Wales dress code
- An end to mixed-gender accommodation
- Protection of visiting and meal times, and
- Improved staff training
The aim is to give greater authority to ward sisters and charge nurses to enable them to run their wards more effectively.
Food record chart guide
The Welsh Assembly Government has produced a food record chart guide that aims to help staff accurately document the amount of food that a patient has eaten. Nutrition screening takes place within 24 hours of admission and food and fluid charts for each patient are completed as part of the monitoring process, which assist the nutritional review of each individual patient.
Fundamentals of Care Audit
The Welsh Assembly Government launched a national audit tool on 1 July 2009 which is being used by all Local Health Boards across Wales.
Rosemary Kennedy, former Chief Nursing Officer for Wales writes in the Nursing Times:
Frontline nurses are key to ensuring quality care (June 2009)
Ward sisters must be given the freedom to lead and care (Nov 2009)
Other Welsh Government initaitives and publications
National Partnerhship Forum for Older People in Wales
The National Partnerhsip Forum for Older People in Wales was established in 2005 to support the Welsh Government's strategy for older people. Click here to find out more about the Forum.
Continuing Healthcare
The Welsh Assembly Government has published a new leaflet to enable frontline staff and the general public better unbderstand the continuing healthcare (CHC) process. The guide should be used to complement the Continuing NHS Healthcare Public Information leaflet.
NHS e-Governance Manual
This manual is designed to assist NHS organisations in Wales develop robust governance and assurance arrangements that meet the standards of good governance set for all public services in Wales. It includes a section on:
NHS Wales committment to safeguarding vulnerable adults
how to report a concern
a useful resources section
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